Shut-off valve for flow conduits



Dec. 9, 1969 o. E. OUTCALT SHUT-OFF VALVE FOR FLOW CONDUITS Filed Aug. 5, 1967 a m 0 m 0 m m E V m United States Patent 0.

3,482,603 SHUT-OFF VALVE FOR FLOW CONDUITS Dale E. Outcalt, P.0. Box 84, Flat Rock, Ill. 62427 Filed Aug. 3, 1967,.Ser. No. 658,138 Int. Cl. F16k /12, 27/00 US. Cl. 137-5155 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pressure responsive shut-off valve assembly for hottom-hole mounting in pump tubing below the pump feeding nipple to block upfiow as soon as downflow pressure is removed for pump servicing or tube pull-out purpose. The valve assembly is mounted between pipe sections and includes an annular seating disc, a flap valve and an adjustable spring-biased closing linkage mounted on the wall of the lower pipe section.

This invention relates to a pump pipe valve assembly and more particularly to a one way pressure responsive shut-off valve mounted between coupled sections of a pump pipe string.

In oil or gas well installations, a problem arises when servicing the equipment due to bottom-hole pressure. Very often, when pulling the rods and pump for repairs, the bottom-hole pressure causes an upfiow of gas, air or oil as the pump is removed from the pipe string. This in volves waste of product, a loss in time and also constitutes a danger to personnel.

An important object of the present invention therefore is to reduce the loss and danger aforementioned during the servicing of a gas or oil well by automatically blocking up flow due to bottom-hole pressure.

In accordance with the present invention a one-way flap valve device is mounted between coupled sections of the drill string below the pump seating nipple. The mounting of the valve assembly is such as to avoid any enlargement of the outside diameter of the pipe string since the bottom of the tubing below the pump seating nipple must go through the stripper in the casing head on high pressure wells for example. The flap valve opens in response to downflow pressure from the pump but automatically closes whenever the pump is lifted from the seating nipple so as to prevent the gas, air or oil from rising upwardly through the pump tubing.

The flap valve is held closed by an adjustable spring bias through a linkage arrangement and locking of the valve in an open position is prevented by an anti-locking leaf spring to insure proper operation of the valve assembly. Further, the valve assembly is mounted between pipe sections with a minimum amount of modification of one of the pipe sections and with substantially no dimensional enlargement thereof as aforementioned.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a typical installation for the valve assembly of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 22 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 44 in FIGURE 3.

3,482,603 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed from FIG. 1 that the valve of the present invention is adapted to be mounted between an upper and lower pipe section 10 and 12 of a pipe string associated with a gas or oil well installation. Thus, the upper end of the pipe section 10 is internally threaded at 14 while the lower end of the pipe section 12 is externally threaded at 16. As will be observed, substantially no dimensional enlargement of either of the pipe sections is involved even though 7 the valve assembly is mounted therewithin.

As more clearly seen in FIG. 3, the valve assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 18, is mounted between the adjacent axial end portions of the pipe sections 10 and 12 which consist of the externally threaded end portion 20 of the upper pipe section and the internally threaded end portion 22 of the lower pipe section. When threadedly coupled to each other, the internal cylindrical wall 24 of the upper pipe section and the internal cylindrical wall 26 of the lower pipe section form a flow passage of constant diameter. An annular recess 28 is however formed within the end portion 22 of the lower pipe section defined by an axial shoulder 30 which is axially spaced from the axial end 32 against which an annular valve seating disc 34 abuts. A plurality of studs 36 project from the shoulder 30 and engage the valve seating disc 34 within the annular recess 28 so as to hold the valve seating disc in abutment with the end 32 of the upper pipe section. Thus, the valve assembly is fixedly mounted between the end portions of the pipe sections positioning the valve opening 38 in coaxial relation to the flow passage formed between the pipe sections.

The valve opening 38 is adapted to be closed by a circular flap valve element 40 which radially overlaps the portion of the annular valve seating disc 34 that projects radially inwardly from the walls 24 and 26 of the pipe sections. The flap valve element is formed at one peripheral location with an enlargement 42 through which a pivot pin 44 extends. The pivot pin extends laterally from the valve element into bores formed in the end portion 22 of the pipe section 12 as more clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. Also, the enlargement 42 is straddled by a pair of parallel spaced ribs 46 that depend from the flap valve element as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, extending radially inwardly from the peripheral portion of the flap valve element at which the enlargement 42 is located.

A connecting pin 48 is received through aligned apertures formed in the ribs 46 spaced radially inwardly of the pivot pin 44 by means of which the flap valve element is pivotally mounted by the pipe section 12. The connecting pin 48 pivotally connects the flap valve to a linkage mechanism generally referred to by reference numeral 50 which is also mounted within the lower pipe section 12. The linkage mechanism includes a link 52 to which the flap valve element is pivotally connected by the pin 48, the link being connected at its lower end by pivot pin 64 to a slide element 54 having slots 66 slidably receiving the pivot pin. The slide element is received within a tubular housing 56 fixedly mounted on the wall 26 of the lower pipe section in axially spaced relation to the shoulder 30. The tubular housing 56 is axially aligned below the enlargement 42 of the flap valve element and seats a coil spring 58 for engagement with the slide element 54. The housing is internally threaded adjacent a lower end for adjustably positioning an externally threaded plug 60 against which the lower end of the coil spring 58 reacts. It will be apparent therefore, that the spring-bias of the coil spring may be adjusted by axial positioning of the plug 60 in order to exert the proper closing force on the flap valve element holding the same in a closed position abutting the valve seat disc 34 as illustrated by solid line in FIG. 3.

It will also be apparent that downflow pressure will pivotally displace the valve element 40 downwardly to an open position against the bias of the coil spring 58. In order to prevent the valve element from being locked in an open position should the linkage device 50 assume an over-center position, an anti-locking leaf spring element 62 is anchored by a stud 63 to the end portion 22 of the lower pipe section. The leaf spring 62 extends downwardly and curves inwardly so that its lower end will engage the link 52 in order to prevent any over-center locking action.

The valve assembly 18 may be simply installed between the pipe sections without any dimensional enlargement thereof. Toward this end, the spring 58 and slide element 54 are assembled within the housing 56 and the pivot pin 64 is received in the slots 66 of the slide element as the flap valve element 40 is brought to the proper position following connection of the link 52 thereto by insertion of the connecting pin 48 through the aligned apertures in the ribs 46 and the link. Proper functioning of the valve assembly will be assured because of the adjustability and installational simplicity of the valve assembly.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a pair of pipe sections having adjacent end portions threadedly coupled to each other in axially overlapping relation, a valve assembly comprising an annular valve seat fixedly mounted within the end portion of one of said pipe sections axially abutting the end portion of the other of said pipe sections, a valve element pivotally mounted internally Within said one of the pipe sections adjacent the valve seat, a tubular housing mounted within said one of the pipe sections axially spaced from the valve seat, spring-biased linkage means connected to the valve element and projecting from the tubular housing for yieldably holding the valve element in a closed position engaging the valve seat, and anti-locking spring means mounted by said one of the pipe sections axially between the valve seat and the tubular housing for engagement with the linkage means in the open position of the valve element to prevent over-center locking of the valve element in the open position by the linkage means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one of the pipe sections is provided with an arcuate window axially between the tubular housing and the valve seat exposing the linkage means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said linkage means comprises a spring element seated in the tubular housing, a slide engageable by the spring element within the tubular housing, and a link pivotally connected to the slide and to the valve element spaced radially inward from the tubular housing in the closed position of the valve element.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said pipe sections have internal cylindrical walls of the same diameter in coaxial relation to each other, the end portion of said one of the pipe sections forming an annular recess defined by a shoulder axially spaced from theend portion of the other of the pipe sections, and circumferentially spaced studs projecting from the shoulder in engagement with the valve seat within the annular recess to hold the valve seat in abutment with said end portion of the other of the pipe sections.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said anti-locking spring means comprises a leaf spring anchored to said one of the pipe sections within the annular recess having an inner end engageable with the link.

6. In combination with a pair of pipe sections having adjacent end portions threadedly coupled to each other in axially overlapping relation, a valve assembly comprising an annular valve seat fixedly mounted within the end portion of one of said pipe sections axially abutting the end portion of the other of said pipe sections, a valve element pivotally mounted internally within said one of the pipe sections adjacent the valve seat, a tubular housing mounted Within said one of the pipe sections axially spaced from the valve seat, spring-biased linkage means connected to the valve element and projecting from the tubular housing for yieldably holding the valve element in a closed position engaging the valve seat, said pipe sections having internal cylindrical walls of the same diameter in coaxial relation to each other, the end portion of said one of the pipe sections forming an annular recess defined by a shoulder axially spaced from the end portion of the other of the pipe sections, and circumferentially spaced studs projecting from the shoulder in engagement with the valve seat within the annular recess to hold the valve seat in abutment with said end portion of the other of the pipe sections.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said linkage means comprises a spring element seated in the tubular housing, a slide engageable by the spring element within the tubular housing, and a link pivotally connected to the slide and to the valve element spaced radially inward from the tubular housing in the closed position of the valve element.

8. In combination with a pair of pipe sections having adjacent end portions threadedly coupled to each other in axially overlapping relation, a valve assembly comprising an annular valve seat fixedly mounted within the end portion of one of said pipe sections axially abutting the end portion of the other of said pipe sections, a valve element pivotally mounted internally within said one of the pipe sections adjacent the valve seat and spring-biased linkage means connected to the valve element for yieldably holding the valve element in a closed position engaging the valve seat, said pipe sections having internal walls of the same diameter in coaxial relation to each other, the end portion of said one of the pipe sections forming an annular recess defined by a shoulder axially spaced from the end portion of the other of the pipe sections, and circumferentially spaced studs projecting from the shoulder in engagement with the valve seat within the annular recess to hold the valve seat in abutment with said end portion of the other of the pipe sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,058,534 10/1962 Keithahn l37-515.7 XR 3,173,439 3/1965 Griswold 137-527.4 XR 3,203,575 8/1965 Anderson 220-35 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner W. H. WRIGHT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

